Crossing the Tracks
by Gabrielle Miriam
Summary: My take on what Season 2 could be like. I only own Darcie and David. Darcie Darwin. Almost as strange as her last name. Darcie never felt like she fit in at Southside. It always felt like she was born in the wrong family. On the wrong side of the tracks. When Southside High gets a Riverdale visitor, Darcie gets thrusted towards a new goal— get to Riverdale.
1. Chapter 1

"Happy Birthday, Darcie." He looked at me with pitiful eyes. Of course, I didn't want to be bitter.

"Thanks, Dad." I took the cupcake in a napkin. I knew if I said any other words, I'd get a lecture on how I need to be more grateful.

Honestly, I was. A cupcake was a step up from last year. Last year, he had forgotten all morning. I came home to him singing "Happy Birthday" with absolutely no musical talent whatsoever. Hence why I had stuffed earplugs in my pocket when I got out of bed this morning.

I figured I'd hold onto them for the rest of the day, just in case.

Honestly, I wasn't exactly looking forward to my sixteenth birthday. I didn't want it to be anything special, because it really wasn't. Just one step closer to being eighteen. And that couldn't come any slower.

Walking down the dirt road to the bus stop didn't help the monotony of the day. All the mobile homes still were trashed. Mr. Hodges' old volkswagen was rotting outside his door, as it has been ever since he got a DUI and lost his license.

Most people understood that this mobile home dump was not a place to raise children. Most everyone except my dad.

I don't know which made me feel more messed up— the fact that I lived with a dad who barely knew the time of day or the reality that I lived in the slums with no other person my age. Well, except one.

"Wait up!" I heard my brother yell from behind me. "A cupcake!?" He cursed. "I didn't even get a hug."

"What do you expect, David? I sure as hell didn't expect this." I almost dropped the cupcake, waving it around the air. "If something can be screwed up, leave it to him.."

"Optimism. It's attractive on you."

"And you are supposed to be Mr. Ray of Sunshine?" I said sarcastically.

"Darcie, there's something I need to talk to you about. After school. I'll pick you up."

"About what?" I smirked at my idiot brother as the school bus veered around the corner, nearly missing our stop once again.

"Hurry up! Get on the bus. If I'm late one more time this week, Principal Price will have my head." Our bus driver yelled.

"After school, Darcie. Don't forget." David yelled to me before I boarded the bus.

I barely was able to sit in a seat before Laura, our crazy bus driver, sped off towards Southside High.

Or, as I like to call it, hell.

Speaking of monotony, it was the epitome of it. I've been in the same classes with all these kids since first grade. And I've been ignored by all these kids since. Here and there, I'd make a friend. But I'm pretty sure commitment issues are a local curse on this side of the railroad tracks. No one seems to be drama free for more than two days, and no one can hold a friend for any longer. If "friends" is even the right word. Maybe it's just something we all inherited from our parents, since most of them are Southside Serpents or drugged up drunks.

And neither David nor myself were spared under that curse either. David and I always talked about moving from Southside somewhere else, anywhere else. We planned for it when David turned eighteen. Money was a big set back. And once you get dragged into the Serpents, there's barely a chance of escape.

Laura's school bus swung into the school parking lot as the first period tardy bell rang. Attempting to not get toppled exiting the bus ended unsuccessfully. Either some kid purposefully ran into me or he was pushed full force into the back of me as I was rushing down the bus steps.

I pulled myself up onto my knees, examining the gravel stuck in my hands under the blood now streaming down my palms.

I cursed to myself. "Seriously!?" I lashed out at the kid that was behind me, barely looking him in the eyes. "Watch where you're going next time." I pushed past him, hurrying my way towards first period math, even though I probably wasn't missing out on much.


	2. Chapter 2

"Abscent." My ignorant math teacher stamped the letters next to my name.

"But, Professor Howe, I am here! It's not my fault!"

"Sorry, Darcie. After the tardy bell, I can't mark you as present."

I glared at him. He was so not sorry. I turned away to head to my seat.

"Oh, and Darcie, happy birthday." Professor Howe commented.

I rolled my eyes where he couldn't see. What birthday, the least he could do is mark me tardy. It wasn't even my fault.

I slouched down in my seat at the back of my class. I would understand if I walked in on the middle of a lecture, but we had barely learned anything in this class so far this year. Everyone in the entire room was chatting up a storm, throwing paper balls, gossiping behind each others backs, probably dealing drugs.

Ever since I lived here, which has been my whole life, I always told myself I wouldn't be like everyone else. I wouldn't deal drugs, or drink. I wouldn't hang around with Serpents, and I would try my best to be a good person. But eventually, the atmosphere that surrounds you gets the best of you.

Fortunately for me, my demons were bitterness and rebellion. As for my brother.. Well, when we were set back from moving out of Southside, David was so lost. He didn't know to do, so he did the only thing he knew of— he joined the Serpents. Just like my dad. He started doing dirty work for cash. David always promised me that he wouldn't get in too deep to where he couldn't get out. But that was nearly ten years ago.

"Last name?" I glanced up at Mr. Howe, who was checking someone into the role.

Checking someone in. I felt the blood start rushing through my veins. So I couldn't be checked in past the tardy bell, but a new kid who hasn't even been here before can be checked in!? Just my luck.

"Jones."

"Thanks, Mr. Jones. Class will start soon. Have a seat wherever."

I unraveled the napkin I had practically clenched in my hand, the cupcake pretty much smushed from the events of the morning. On top of the cupcake was a little broken candle. I pulled it off and went in to devour what would be breakfast.

"Birthday, huh?"

I hadn't even realized the new kid sat next to me, but I glanced over at him. Of course I couldn't enjoy my birthday breakfast alone.

I glared at him through the layers of days old mascara that I had habitually forgotten to take off.

"Birthday?" I scoffed. "Hardly. If you include a lousy cupcake, getting knocked off the school bus, and being marked absent in my first class a happy birthday, then, yes, happy birthday to me."

"Sorry about that, by the way. My equilibrium was thrown off from the horrendous turns. Tell me, does that school bus driver know that buses are not meant for drifting?"

"I'd take that up with her. I have you know, I will be picking gravel out of my hand for the next several days because of you." I dab the cuts on my hand with the napkin.

The kid looked away, not showing any sympathy.

"I'm Darcie, by the way. And this is first period math, where you learn absolutely nothing about math and just about everything of gangs and drugs."

"Jughead Jones, and, trust me, it beats the math class back at Riverdale."

"You're from Riverdale? Why in the world are you at Southside?" God knows I'd kill to attend Riverdale rather than this dump.

"It's a long story." Jughead stared into the distance.

"I would say, 'Oh, tell me more,' but, it's about to be second period, and I can't afford another tardy." I picked up my backpack, ready to bolt to my next class.

"I wouldn't want to bore you to death with my life story."

"Trust me, with the crap I hear around this school, I'd be glad to hear about some Riverdale drama. It's just bad timing."

The bell went off, signaling everyone had promptly five minutes to get to their next class.

"Catch ya later." I shot out the door without looking back, headed towards second period.


End file.
